IDAP BLOG Mobile Application Development

Mobile eCommerce App Development Guide: from Costs to Tips

While desktop eCommerce continues to show steady growth year by year, mobile commerce promises to reach $620.97 billion by 2024. The cause of that is the seamless process that customers experience at every tap of the screen. Simple logic suggests that eCommerce mobile app development is a long-lasting trend in the digital era. 

Today, any retailer who is postponing eCommerce app development might look obsolete if not flawed. So, read on if you are still chewing over the need to get a mobile app and find out how to build eCommerce app in this case.

Related: In-house vs Outsourcing. How to develop an app in 2023?

eCommerce Mobile App Development: Things to Take Care 

Security

eCommerce applications require plenty of confidential information in the process of making a purchase (e.g., shipping and billing address, card number, CVV code, and email). Hence, its protection from harm has to be your primary concern.

If you fail to assure users of the absolute safety of their sensitive data, it creates the risk that the app will never get to the top. The idea that it is impossible to create a 100% unhackable application belongs to superstitions rather than reality. Modern encryption technologies enable building eCommerce apps bulletproof against data theft. Some methods of encryption are expensive; others are not. 

The security level of any software application depends on how much its owners are ready to spend on a barrier against hackers. Sometimes, security is cost-intensive at the stage of eCommerce mobile app development, but it is always rewarding finally in operation.  

Stability

Instability and crashes are a no-go for a mobile eCommerce app. Making the app stable should be included in your “to-do” list if you plan to drive sales and receive high ROI. In general, users prefer not to waste their time on apps that are not consistent or well-balanced.

Of course, creating a perfect product without any difficulties or bugs is hardly possible. It is necessary to carry out quality assurance tests, receive customer feedback, regularly release fixed updates, and improve the app step by step. Such a sequence of actions is typical for any respectable company engaged in professional eCommerce mobile app development. Numerous iterations might be time-consuming at the stage of production. However, a well-crafted finished product won’t cause any headaches to the owners and customers. After all, this is about a seamless user experience worth the developers’ efforts. 

Need to create robust software to master mobile eCommerce? Let us know! Explore what starting point will help you boost customer experience and uplift revenue. 

Scalability

Scalability is the app’s potential to handle the growing workload. As an application gains popularity, it compiles more users and more requests to handle. While creating an eCommerce app, it is better to provide some excessive range from the outset than to suffer from a frozen application afterward.  

The scalable application can maintain or even improve its efficiency as the load increases. It means that an average response time, the number of requests processed per second, and so on would increase by demand proportionally.

Style

Creating an app for a myriad of gadgets calls for a top-notch design that answers the requirements of both Android and iOS and can satisfy their users. You should consider the demands of these operating systems and the capacities of different devices that support them.

Application should be visually attractive and intuitive in use. Remember that users are lazy and impatient. Anyone would get annoyed by a slow app that is hard to figure out. People are subconsciously looking for beauty in everything they touch. An impressive design is the other side of the coin when building eCommerce apps.   

Related: Android vs iOS Development: 8 Things to Consider Before Deciding on Business Extension With a Mobile App

Create eCommerce App with Various Payment Options in Mind 

For the sake of supplying users with a safe and easy-to-use payment system, it is necessary to add a payment gateway and processor to the app. 

A payment gateway is a connected service that charges your customers’ credit cards while they make purchases online. Usually, it is provided either by a bank or a particular financial service provider. Contemporary finance includes different payment options, from bank cards and wire transfers to cryptocurrencies. Somewhere in between are such popular payment services as Revolut, TransferWise, and Braintree. 

Create eCommerce App

When thinking about how to make an eCommerce app, business owners start prioritizing payment diversity for a reason. A trouble-free transfer of money from a customer to a merchant is what any eCommerce app should be able to execute via its payment gateways.

What should one pay attention to when deciding on a payment gateway?  Consider a couple of options you have there. 

Integrate a gateway API

Several payment gateways can be successfully integrated into the eCommerce platform of your choice. This way, users can submit their payment information into the form inside your app without any redirections or outside services. This feature provides a smooth user experience. 

However, keep in mind that payment data will be stored on your company’s servers. To prevent leakage and fraud, you must take security measures to comply with Payment Card Industry standards. The approach seems very reasonable when eCommerce application development is about a large project. As far as small or even middle-sized businesses are concerned, this is the least cost-effective solution.  

Use payment gateway providers

Stripe and Braintree have a PCI LEVEL 1 Service Providers certification – the highest level of existing certification systems. These guys are going to deal with a majority of delicate issues concerning payments and data safety. 

By integrating any of these payment gateways, your customers’ payment information will be transmitted directly to the payment systems’ servers. 

The only thing on your hands is to fill in their questionnaires. The demand for secure payments in the eCommerce sector creates healthy competition between emerging payment-gateway providers. Today, the one who will build an eCommerce app has quite a wide selection of relevant payment services. They keep developing in the context of compatibility with various technologies in e-commerce mobile app development.      

What Specialists You Need to Build eCommerce App

Projects may vary significantly. Technology stacks can be different as well. But the general workflow in the segment of eCommerce application development is well-known to the last detail. The developers’ team is never a secret since thousands of software development companies share their working experience.

A well-balanced team for app creation should consist of: 

  • Project Manager 
  • UI/UX Designer 
  • iOS Developer 
  • Android Developer 
  • Backend Developer
  • Quality Assurance Tester
Build eCommerce App

Related: Why Project Managers are Driving Software Development Process: 101 Guideline for Business Leaders

Key features to implement on the stage of an MVP

Authorization

Provide users a choice whether they should register through email, phone number, or a social media account.

User profile

This feature includes the user’s personal information (email, name and surname, shipping address, buying history, and wishlist). Preferable payment methods can be a good option as well.

Feed

Add a list of offered items based on the user’s preferences that can be updated in real-time to retain their interest. A search bar where users can type in what they are looking for and filter the results by brand, color, size, season, model, and so on. Voice search can be added since this technology created a buzz around. There is even a standalone name for it – “voice commerce.” 

Payment system

Integration of one or another payment service belongs to backend development mostly. Nonetheless, users always appreciate the uninterrupted functioning of payment options. Hence, making a payment system is crucial during eCommerce application development.  

Online support

Users can get confused with size charts and delivery methods or have trouble placing orders. It is necessary to add a live chat or a call center to support the app. Chatbots can be implemented as well to prevent customer support agents from overloading with simple and frequent queries such as signing in, for instance. Meanwhile, it is worth getting customer support outsourced to a professional BPO provider for a large-scale eCommerce project. 

Testimonials

Users rely on each other’s opinions in deciding whether to go for a product online, as there is no way to try it on or see color in real life. Adding a rating system for goods and a comment section for leaving feedback on offered goods/services can strengthen the credibility of your business. First-timers can get useful info from product reviews created by earlier buyers.   

Key features to implement on eCommerce App

Each stage of the app-making needs some time, which will also affect the final budget. eCommerce application development is about planning. The total cost of an application heavily depends on human hours to be spent to create an eCommerce app. 

If you’re looking for a way to develop products for mobile eCommerce at a fraction of costs and time – involve the IDAP team. Contact our sales to share your vision.

How much does eCommerce mobile app development cost? 

There’s no fixed price when it comes to the answer. It all depends on the project scale, the number of specialists involved, time spent on app creation, the range of features, etc. Developing an eCommerce mobile app may take up to 500-600 hours. Keep in mind that among the most time-consuming features are: 

  • Feed which takes about 10 hours 
  • Integrating payment system – it’s about 40 hours 
  • Customer support chat – on average, 16 hours
eCommerce mobile app development cost

The software development process has to be well-planned to avoid hidden costs, unnecessary re-dos, and extra expenses. But in any case, eCommerce app development should start with receiving a technical requirement from a customer. The document reveals what the customer is expecting from the application. A particular experience and qualification are needed to create a consistent technical requirement. However, this is not fatal if you have none – our project managers are always at your disposal. 

Related: How Much Does It Cost to Develop a Custom Application?

Summary

IDAP provides proper planning for every project we deal with, regardless of its scale. Our project managers diligently study your business needs and offer appropriate tech solutions to meet your expectations. Especially if you have a limited budget and a tight schedule. Contact us if you are looking for eCommerce application development on a turnkey basis.

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